While conventional drought has been studied for many years, new research focuses on different aspects and types of drought. Flash Drought is a relatively new area of research in drought literature, dating back to the last ten to twenty years in the United States. Flash drought in the Caribbean has received minimal attention from researchers, but it has been studied in the United States primarily because of the 2012 flash drought event over the Great Plains. This study focuses on flash drought events in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Because the rapid onset and intensity of flash drought can potentially cause more devastation without established prediction methods, this research seeks to understand the synoptic scale atmospheric drivers of flash drought events. Recent occurrences of a flash drought event in this region include the 2015 event in Puerto Rico, which resulted in water rationing and shortages for residents of the island (Mote et al., 2017). The primary goal of this study is to understand how flash drought initiates and propagates for Puerto Rico and the Caribbean using two definitions of flash drought. One definition is based on soil moisture deficit, and the second definition is based on the Evaporative Demand Drought Index (EDDI), an experimental drought monitoring tool. Results suggest that an anomalous convection and positive moisture event followed by negative moisture anomalies and persistent subsidence contribute to flash drought event initiation and propagation. Additionally, large scale flash drought events seem to be initiating more frequently, suggesting that the island is becoming more susceptible to the devastations of flash drought. / Master of Science / Drought in the United States is a well-known occurrence typically caused by high temperatures and low precipitation rates. States in the Western US like California, Arizona, Nevada, and more have been negatively impacted by persistent drought. These negative impacts include water rationing laws, struggling agricultural yield, and many days without precipitation. In recent years, it has been discovered that drought has a counterpart known as flash drought. Flash drought is to flash flooding as drought is to a floodplain. Floodplains are areas prone to persistent flooding, but flash flooding occurs in a matter of minutes or hours due to extremely intense precipitation and a lack of drainage for the water to leave. Flash drought is very similar to flash flooding due to the rapid onset and intensification. Flash drought has been studied for the United States in some cases, but there is very little known about flash drought in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. This study seeks to understand how flash drought initiates and intensifies in Puerto Rico. Results of this study suggest that flash drought can initiate immediately after a large precipitation event that is followed by days without precipitation. Because of the amount of moisture after the precipitation, the atmosphere wants to evaporate that moisture back out. As more moisture is evaporated, the land becomes drier and drier, especially when there is no follow up precipitation. The lack of follow up precipitation is also explained in this study. It was found that following the big precipitation event, the atmosphere does not create more precipitation because of a persistent state of downward vertical motion. Upward vertical motion is needed for precipitation to occur, so the combination of downward vertical motion and dry air results in a flash drought event in Puerto Rico.

Flash processing is a new heat treatment process being developed to produce steel with relatively high strength and ductility. It involves rapidly heating steel sheet or strip to a temperature in the austenite range and quenching; the entire thermal cycle takes place within 15 seconds. The resulting microstructure is fine and difficult to resolve using standard metallographic techniques. In this investigation, electron backscatter diffraction was used to measure the grain size, grain orientations, and phase fractions in AISI 8620 samples flash processed to a series of different maximum temperatures. The combination of high strength with moderate ductility obtained by flash processing arises from a refined martensitic microstructure. The morphology of the microstructure depends upon the maximum processing temperature; a lower maximum temperature appears to produce a finer prior austenite grain size and an equiaxed martensite structure whereas a higher maximum processing temperature yields a more conventional lath martensite morphology. / Master of Science

Šiame darbe apžvelgiami garso ir animacijos apdorojimo metodai. Pateikiami metodų privalumai ir trūkumai. Aptariama Adobe Flash technologija, jos panaudojimas grafikoje. Supažindinama su objektinio programavimo kalba – ActionScript. Aprašomi išorinių muzikos rinkmenų nuskaitymo ir apdorojimo metodai. Pateikiami duomenų nuskaitymo klasių ir funkcijų sudarymo pavyzdžiai, garso duomenų atvaizdavimas panaudojant SoundMixer biblioteką. Aprašomi animacijos kūrimo etapai atsižvelgiant į objektų struktūrą. Iliustruojami atvirkštinės kinematikos taikymo pavyzdžiai kūno judesiui animuoti. Sukurtas projektas Actionscript programavimo kalba, kuriame nuskaitoma vartotojo pasirinkta mp3 rinkmena, atpažįstamas ritmas ir sinchronizuotai atvaizduojama animacija. Darbą sudaro 4 dalys: įvadas, analitinė ir praktinė dalis, išvados, literatūros sąrašas. Darbo apimtis – 62 p. teksto be priedų, 35 iliustr., 3 lent., 38 bibliografiniai šaltiniai. / An overview of the animation and sound – processing techniques. Methods presented the advantages and disadvantages.Discusses Adobe Flash technology, its use of graphics. Introducing the object-oriented programming language - ActionScript. Describe the external music files scanning and processing methods. Presented data capture forms and functions of examples. Display audio data using SoundMixer library. Describe the animation stage, based on the structure of objects. Illustrated by examples of application of inverse kinematics to animate the body motion. Project is created of ActionScript programming language, which is read by user – selected mp3 file, accepted by over rhythm and synchronization of displayed animations. Structure: introduction, analytical and practical parts, conclusions and suggestions, references. Thesis consists of: 62 p. text without appendixes, 35 pictures, 3 tables, 38 bibliographical entries.

The kinetics of the pressure dependent O + SO2 + Ar reaction have been investigated using laser photolysis resonance fluorescence at temperatures of 289 K, 399 K, 581 K, 699 K, 842 K and 1040 K and at pressures from 30-665 torr. Falloff was observed for the first time in the pressure dependence. Application of Lindemann theory yielded an Arrhenius expression of k(T) = 3.3 x 10-32exp(-992/T) cm6 molecule-1 s-1 for the low pressure limit and k(T) = 8.47 x 10-14exp(-468/T) cm3 molecule-1 s-1 for the high pressure limit at temperatures between 289 and 842 K. The reaction is unusual as it possesses a positive activation energy at low temperature, yet at higher temperatures the activation energy is negative, illustrating a reaction barrier.

Os compósitos cerâmicos de alto desempenho têm sido objeto de frequentes estudos nas últimas décadas, visando à melhora das propriedades mecânicas e ao aumento da sua gama de aplicações em produtos tecnológicos. Este trabalho consistiu em estudar a preparação, a sinterização convencional e não convencional e as propriedades mecânicas e tribológicas resultantes de dois sistemas compósitos: t-ZrO2/Al2O3 e t-ZrO2/Al2O3-NbC. No sistema t-ZrO2/Al2O3 foram estudadas as composições de 0, 5 e 15% em volume de Al2O3 usando pós comerciais. No sistema t-ZrO2/Al2O3-NbC, foi usado um pó nanocristalino de Al2O3-NbC, obtido por moagem reativa de alta energia e adicionado na proporção de 5% em volume à matriz de t-ZrO2. Os pós foram prensados uniaxial e isostaticamente e sinterizados em forno convencional e pelas técnicas de flash sintering (FS) (t-ZrO2/Al2O3) e spark plasma sintering (SPS) (t-ZrO2/Al2O3-NbC). Os compósitos t-ZrO2/Al2O3 sinterizados convencionalmente e t-ZrO2/Al2O3-NbC sinterizados convencionalmente e por SPS foram caracterizados por medidas de densidade aparente, dilatometria, microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV), e medidas de propriedades mecânicas: dureza, módulo de Young e tenacidade à fratura. Os compósitos t-ZrO2/Al2O3 sinterizados por FS foram caracterizados por medidas de densidade aparente, dilatometria in situ e MEV. Os nanocompósitos de t-ZrO2/Al2O3-NbC foram também caracterizados quanto à resistência ao desgaste pelo método esfera-no-disco, utilizando esferas de Al2O3 e WC-6%Co como contramateriais. Os resultados mostraram que a moagem reativa de alta energia foi completa e efetiva na obtenção de pós nanométricos de Al2O3-NbC, com tamanhos de cristalito de 9,1 nm para Al2O3 e 9,7 nm para o NbC. A desaglomeração posterior à moagem de alta energia foi eficaz na redução do tamanho de aglomerados. Os compósitos t-ZrO2/Al2O3 e t-ZrO2/Al2O3-NbC sinterizados convencionalmente e ZrO2/Al2O3-NbC sinterizados por SPS mostraram alta densificação (>97% DT e boas propriedades mecânicas. Os nanocompósitos de t-ZrO2/Al2O3 sinterizados por FS apresentaram uma densificação ultrarrápida (< 1 min) com retração linear superior às amostras sinterizadas em forno convencional, ocorrente a temperaturas inferiores a 1000°C, com densidades relativas superiores a 90% DT em algumas composições. Os nanocompósitos de t-ZrO2/Al2O3-NbC apresentaram propriedades competitivas entre os compósitos sinterizados convencionalmente e por SPS, com dureza e tenacidade à fratura superiores às da t-ZrO2 monolítica. A resistência ao desgaste desses nanocompósitos sinterizados convencionalmente, no entanto, foi notadamente superior à dos sinterizados por SPS. A oxidação do NbC nos compósitos sinterizados convencionalmente influiu negativamente nas propriedades, levando à sugestão de uma \"janela\" de temperaturas em que a sinterização do nanocompósito de t-ZrO2/Al2O3-NbC seja interessante sem a degradação das propriedades mecânicas. Os resultados permitiram concluir que os materiais estudados apresentam potencial para aplicações industriais que requerem cerâmicas de alto desempenho mecânico e de resistência ao desgaste. / High performance ceramic composites have been the subject of frequent studies in recent decades, aiming at improving mechanical properties and increasing their range of applications in technological products. This work consisted in studying the preparation, the conventional and non-conventional sintering and the mechanical properties resulting from two t-ZrO2 matrix composites: the t-ZrO2/Al2O3 system and the t-ZrO2/Al2O3-NbC system. In the t-ZrO2/Al2O3 system, the compositions of 0, 5 and 15% by volume of Al2O3 using commercial powders were studied, while in the t-ZrO2/Al2O3-NbC system, an Al2O3-NbC nanocrystalline powder obtained by high energy reactive milling, deagglomerated, leached in HCl and added in the proportion of 5% by volume to the t-ZrO2 matrix. The obtained powders were uniaxially and isostatically pressed and sintered in conventional furnace and using flash sintering (t-ZrO2/Al2O3) and spark plasma sintering (SPS) (t-ZrO2/Al2O3-NbC). Conventionally sintered t-ZrO2/Al2O3 and conventionally sintered t-ZrO2/Al2O3-NbC composites were characterized by measurements of apparent density, dilatometry, SEM, and mechanical properties: hardness, Young\'s modulus and fracture toughness. The t-ZrO2/Al2O3 composites sintered by FS were characterized by measurements of apparent density, in situ dilatometry and SEM. t-ZrO2/Al2O3-NbC nanocomposites were also characterized for wear strength by the ball-in-disc method, using Al2O3 and WC-6%Co beads as countermaterials. The results showed that the high energy reactive milling was complete and effective in obtaining nanometric powders of Al2O3-NbC, with crystallite sizes equal to 9.1 and 9.7 nm, for Al2O3 and NbC, respectively. The deagglomeration after high energy reactive milling was effective in reducing the size of agglomerates. Conventionally sintered t-ZrO2/Al2O3 and t-ZrO2/Al2O3-NbC composites and SPS-sintered t-ZrO2/Al2O3-NbC showed high densification (> 97% TD), good dispersion of the inclusions in the matrix and good mechanical properties. The t-ZrO2/Al2O3 nanocomposites sintered by FS presented an ultrafast densification (<1 min) with linear shrinkage superior to the sintered samples in conventional furnace, occurring at temperatures lower than 1000°C, with relative densities higher than 90% TD in some compositions. The t-ZrO2/Al2O3-NbC nanocomposites presented competitive properties between conventionally sintered and SPS-sintered composites with higher hardness and fracture toughness than monolithic t-ZrO2. The wear resistance of these conventionally sintered nanocomposites, however, was markedly higher than those of SPS-sintered ones. The oxidation of NbC in the composites sintered conventionally influenced negatively the properties, leading to the suggestion of a \"window\" of temperatures in which the sintering of the t-ZrO2/Al2O3-NbC nanocomposite is interesting without the degradation of the mechanical properties. The results allowed concluding that the studied materials present potential for industrial applications that require high mechanical performance and wear resistance ceramics.

La complexité des systèmes électroniques ne cesse d’augmenter, tout comme la tendance actuelle de miniaturisation des transistors. La fiabilité est ainsi devenue un continuel défi. Les environnements hostiles caractérisés par des conditions extrêmes de hautes températures affectent le bon fonctionnement des systèmes. Pour les composants de stockage de données, la température est considérée comme une menace pour la fiabilité. Le développement de techniques de suivi et de contrôle devient ainsi essentiel afin de garantir la fiabilité des mémoires volatiles et non volatiles. Dans le cadre de ma thèse, je me suis intéressée à deux types de mémoires : les mémoires NAND Flash et les mémoires SRAM. Pour contrôler les effets de la température sur les mémoires Flash, une solution basée sur l’utilisation d’un timer a été proposée afin de réduire la fréquence de rafraîchissement de ces mémoires tout en continuant à garantir l’intégrité de l’information stockée. Pour les mémoires SRAM, l’effet de la température sur la vulnérabilité par rapport aux événements singuliers (SEU) a été étudiée. Une étude comparative sur l’apparition des SEU a été menée avec différentes températures pour des cellules standards 6T-SRAM et des cellules de stockage durcies (DICE). Enfin, une méthode statistique et une approximation calculatoire basées sur des opérations de vérification périodique ont été proposées afin d’améliorer le taux d’erreurs (RBER) tolérable dans des SSDs de type Entreprise à base de mémoires Flash. / With the constant increase of microelectronic systems complexity and the continual scaling of transistors, reliability remains one of the main challenges. Harsh environments, with extreme conditions of high temperature and thermal cycling, alter the proper functioning of systems. For data storage devices, high temperature is considered as a main reliability threat. Therefore, it becomes essential to develop monitoring techniques to guarantee the reliability of volatile and non-volatile memories over an entire range of operating temperatures. In the frame of this thesis, I focus my studies on two types of memories: NAND Flash memories and SRAM. To monitor the effects of temperature in NAND Flash Memories, a timer-based solution is proposed in order to reduce the refresh frequency and continue to guarantee the integrity of data. For SRAM memories, the effect of temperature on Single Event Upset (SEU) sensitivity is studied. A comparative study on SEU occurrence under different temperatures is conducted for standard 6T-SRAM cells and hardened Dual Interlocked Storage Cells (DICE). Finally, statistical and computational approximation techniques based on periodic check operations are proposed in order to improve the tolerated Raw Bit Error Rate (RBER) in enterprise-class Flash based SSDs.

This diploma thesis is focused on waves and oscillations in the solar corona, which takes place in a large number of phenomena that occurs here. In recent years these waves have been observed in Earth observation same like as cosmic observation.The task of this thesis is to familiarize with the problems of waves and oscillations in solar corona and subsequent interpretation into numerical simulations that are performed by FLASH code. The aim of the work will be to modify numerical simulations and thus to achieve more realistic of the observed phenomena.

Dans la littérature, que ce soit pour un explosif secondaire ou un matériau composite, une balance en oxygène (BO) proche de 0% est assimilée à de bonnes performances énergétiques (vitesse de détonation, chaleur de décomposition, etc…). L’objectif majeur de cette thèse est d’améliorer les performances énergétiques d’explosifs secondaires courants (RDX, HMX, CL-20) par l’ajout d’un oxydant (DNA) afin d’obtenir un matériau composite avec une BO de -1%. Le mélange intime de ces deux composés est permis par un procédé d’évaporation flash de spray, utilisé habituellement pour réduire la taille de particules des explosifs. Les matériaux composites ont été cristallisés dans les trois cas avec succès, avec la présence d’explosif submicrométrique et de DNA nanostructuré. Un tel résultat a été permis grâce à une meilleure compréhension du procédé, et en conséquence l’ajustement des conditions expérimentales. L’étude de la réactivité de ces matériaux composites montre dans certains cas une désensibilisation, une diminution de la distance de la déflagration à la détonation, ou encore une augmentation de la vitesse de détonation, comparée aux explosifs correspondants. / In literature, for secondary explosive or composite material, an oxygen balance (OB) close to 0% is often linked to good energetic performances (detonation velocity, heat of decomposition, etc.). The main objective of this thesis is to enhance energetic performances of current secondary explosives (RDX, HMX, CL-20) by adding oxidizer (ADN) to obtain a composite material with an OB of -1%. The spray flash evaporation process, usually used for particle size reduction of explosives, enables to obtain an intimate mixture of these two compounds. Composite materials were successfully crystallized in three cases, resulting of submicrometric explosives and nanostructured ADN particles. These results were obtained thanks to a preliminary study for better process understanding and the optimization of experimental conditions. Reactivity studies show some desensitization, shorter distance from deflagration to detonation, and/or higher detonation velocity, compared to corresponding explosives.

Submitted by JOSIANE SANTOS DE OLIVEIRA (josianeso) on 2017-05-25T12:10:45Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Elcio Kondo_.pdf: 2605139 bytes, checksum: bc6eb6e69a381723f69fbce90af22fab (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-25T12:10:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Elcio Kondo_.pdf: 2605139 bytes, checksum: bc6eb6e69a381723f69fbce90af22fab (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-01-11 / Nenhuma / Atualmente vários equipamentos eletrônicos são equipados com memórias NAND Flash para armazenar dados. Essas memórias são controladas através de um circuito integrado com um controlador de memória, que internamente possui um sistema para garantir a integridade das informações armazenadas, os quais são conhecidos por Error Correction Codes (ECC). Os ECCs são códigos capazes de detectar e corrigir erros através de bits redundantes adicionados à informação. Normalmente, os códigos ECC são implementados em hardware dentro do controlador de memória NAND Flash. Neste trabalho comparou-se alguns códigos de ECC utilizados pela indústria, para as comparações utilizou-se os códigos ECC: Hamming, BCH (Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem) e Reed- Solomon. Sistematicamente realizou-se comparações entre os ECCs selecionados e escolheu-se os dois mais apropriados (BCH e Hamming), os quais foram implementados em linguagem VHDL, o que possibilitou identificar o código com melhor vantagem econômica no uso em memórias NAND Flash. / Nowadays several electronic equipment are using NAND Flash memories to store data. These memories are controlled by an integrated circuit with an memory controller embedded that internally has a system to ensure the integrity of the stored information, that are known as Error Correction Codes (ECC). The ECCs are codes that can detect and correct errors by redundant bits added to information. Usually the ECC codes are implemented on NAND Flash memory controller as a hardware block. On this text ECC codes used by industry, the Hamming code, BCH (Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem) and Reed-solomon codes were compared.Systemically compare between selected ECCs were done and selected two codes (BCH and Hamming), which were described in VHDL language and allowed to identify the best code with better economical advantage for NAND Flash memories.

Dans le cadre de ce projet de thèse, des microstructures innovantes « composites » Ni-W constituées d’amas de Tungstène multi-cristallins (à grains fins) immergés dans une matrice de la solution solide Ni(W) cfc ont été élaborées par frittage flash (Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS)). Différents alliages ont ainsi été fabriqués en contrôlant de manière très précise les fractions volumiques respectives des deux élément Ni et W. En outre, le fait que le Ni soit un matériau particulièrement ductile contrairement au W plus résistant, peut conférer au matériau un bon compromis ductilité/résistance mécanique. Ainsi, en ajustant les taux respectifs de Ni et/ou de W, nous avons réussi à faire cohabiter dans un même matériau les micro-mécanismes de déformation propres à chaque phase, dont les caractéristiques et les évolutions sont ensuite analysées lors de sollicitations mécaniques conventionnelles ou in situ sous Synchrotron. Ainsi, nous avons mis en évidence le rôle de chacune des phases constituant la microstructure vis-à-vis du comportement macroscopique. Il est clairement montré que la proportion et l’arrangement spatial de la phase de W sont des facteurs influents sur la fragilité d’ensemble ainsi que sur les transferts de charge entre phases. Concernant la phase ductile, nous avons pu mesurer des déformations du réseau cristallin d’amplitude inhabituelle, que nous avons reliées à la densité initiale importante de joints de type ∑3, densité qui ensuite diminue fortement sous sollicitation mécanique. / As part of this thesis project, innovative “composites” microstructures Ni-W composed by clusters of multi crystallized (ultra fine grain) W embedded in a matrix of a cfc Ni(W) solid solution were elaborated by spark plasma sintering (SPS). Several alloys were processed by controlling precisely the respective volume fractions of the two elements Ni and W. In addition, Ni is a particularly ductile material unlike the more resistant W. So, it may give to the material a good compromise between ductility and mechanical resistance. Thus, by adjusting the respective fractions of Ni and/or W, we obtained in the same material the specific deformation micro-mechanisms of each phase, the characteristics and evolutions of those deformations were after analyzed during conventional mechanical stresses or under in situ Synchrotron. Thus, we have highlighted the role of each phase constituting the microstructure regarding the macroscopic behavior. It is clearly shown that the proportion and spatial distribution of the W phase are key factors on the overall brittleness as well as on the load transfer between the phases. Concerning the ductile phase, we underscored deformations of unusual amplitude, which are connected to the high initial density of ∑3 boundary grains, which then decreases sharply under mechanical stress.